After the fruitful trip to Khare village, a new day began, sunlight gently streaming in through the windows, casting a golden hue across the quiet home.
Someone, surprisingly, was already awake.
Lynette.
She walked into the kitchen with a small bag in her hand, her face glowing with an unusually bright smile.
"Good morning!" she greeted in a loud, cheerful voice.
Her mother, who was standing in front of the stove stirring something, turned around with a look of disbelief.
"You… woke up on your own?" she asked, eyes wide with shock.
Lynette placed the bag on the table, then walked over and wrapped her arms around her mom from behind.
"I had to prepare for tomorrow," she said softly.
Right, tomorrow was the first day of school after the long vacation. A new beginning. For Lynette, it was her second big test in this new life, another chance to rewrite everything she had gotten wrong before.
Her mom smiled from ear to ear, not saying a word but leaning back gently into her daughter's embrace.
"Oh, and I bought some souvenirs for everyone," Lynette added.
She reached for the bag again and pulled out a small handmade wooden hair clip, placing it in her mother's hand.
Her mom stared at it for a moment, her fingers brushing over the smooth surface, her eyes glimmering with a quiet and grateful surprise. Then Lynette gently took the clip and tucked it into her mother's hair.
"You look beautiful, Mom," Lynette whispered. Then with a soft giggle, she added, "No, you look like the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Making fun of your soon-to-be old mom, huh?" her mother teased.
They both burst into laughter.
Just then, her grandparents shuffled into the kitchen, drawn in by the sound of joy.
"Why is there so much noise coming from the kitchen this early?" her grandfather said playfully.
Lynette rushed to them, took both their hands, and pulled out chairs for them to sit.
She handed her grandmother a pearl necklace, simple but elegant, just like the ones she always used to love, and gave her grandfather a small bag of fresh tea leaves from the Khare village market.
"I got these for you," she said brightly. "From the local market in Khare."
Both grandparents looked down at the gifts in disbelief, then smiled at her with such tenderness it almost broke her heart. Her grandmother reached up and patted her head softly.
Lynette looked around at their happy faces and felt warmth swell in her chest.
These were the little things I missed before, she thought to herself. And they matter more than anything.
Later that day, as the early evening light settled over the neighbourhood, Lynette stood in her room, gazing at her freshly ironed school uniform hanging on the wall.
The grey blazer. The grey pleated skirt. The light blue shirt.
It was the same uniform, yet not. It carried memories. Most of them are painful, rather than happy ones. A sudden chill ran down her spine just thinking about it.
Then, "LYNETTE!!"
A loud voice rang from outside the gate.
She jumped slightly and peeked out the window.
It was Seena, waving and grinning. "Come on! Let's go to the market!"
Lynette exhaled with relief and smiled. "Coming!" she called back and ran down the stairs as fast as she could.
They picked up a few school supplies, new notebooks, colourful pens, and some sticky notes before heading to their favourite street food stall. The one they used to visit nearly every day after school.
The sight of it made Lynette freeze for a moment. It looked just the same. The red canopy. The steamy carts. The same familiar smells of oil and chilli in the air.
"You okay?" Seena asked, nudging her with her elbow. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Lynette shook her head, smiling faintly. "Just memories," she muttered.
They ordered their usual, spicy pork skewers and tornado fries.
The moment Lynette took her first bite, the burst of flavour overwhelmed her. Spices, the flavour of warmth that she has almost forgotten all these years. It was so familiar, so nostalgic, it brought tears to her eyes.
Seena leaned in. "Are you crying?"
Lynette quickly wiped her eyes. "No, no! Just… the spice got in my eyes."
Seena narrowed her eyes but decided to let it slide.
They sat there, chatting like old times. Seena talked about a boy in her class who was trying to win her heart, though she confessed her real crush was on a senior who had just graduated.
"We've been talking online," she whispered with a grin. "He's so cool. You have to make a profile soon. It's time to get modern, Lynette. You're missing all the fun!"
Lynette laughed, half-listening and half-lost in the bittersweet beauty of it all.
Everything felt familiar. But different.
The morning sun hadn't even reached its full height when the first sounds stirred the household.
It was 7 a.m., and Lynette was already wide awake.
In the kitchen, the sound of oil sizzling, spoons clinking, and a soft humming filled the space. The warm scent of butter on freshly toasted bread mingled with the earthy aroma of brewed tea and the subtle crispness of frying eggs.
Lynette moved calmly between the stove and the counter, wearing a light beige apron over her pyjamas, her hair tied loosely in a messy bun. She flipped an omelet with ease, already having finished a pot of tea and a small stack of golden toast.
In the hallway, her mother stirred from sleep. Hearing the unusual ruckus from the kitchen, she frowned, half-worried that Toto, their mischievous dog, was up to something again.
She hurried down.
But when she opened the kitchen door, she froze dead.
Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Standing in the middle of the kitchen was her daughter, bright-eyed, smiling, completely focused, cooking breakfast.
"Lynette?" she whispered, almost afraid to break the illusion.
Lynette turned around, her smile lighting up the room. "Good morning, Mom! Hurry up and call everyone for breakfast, or it'll get cold!"
Then she cracked another egg with a casual flick and let it sizzle onto the pan.
Her mother stood frozen in the doorway. She blinked hard, as if still not trusting her eyes. Was she dreaming? Had someone swapped her daughter in the night?
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, Lynette's grandparents appeared in the hallway, their noses leading them in like bees to honey.
"The smell brought us here," her grandfather said, rubbing his eyes. "Roha, you already made breakfast?"
But as he stepped into the kitchen and saw who was really cooking, his voice caught in his throat.
"Lynette?"
"Why is everyone looking at me like they've seen a ghost?" Lynette giggled as she plated another omelet.
They all sat around the table moments later, passing dishes, sipping warm tea, the kitchen filled with quiet delight and the soft clinks of cutlery.
Lynette's grandfather leaned in and whispered to her grandmother, "Today's breakfast… It's the most precious meal I've ever had. After this, I could die in peace."
Her grandmother chuckled and patted his hand.
The warm light of morning filtered through the kitchen windows. It was peaceful, full of love.
Suddenly, Lynette stood up, a piece of toast between her teeth.
"Oh no! I'm going to be late. Mom, can you braid my hair?"
Without waiting for a reply, she dashed to her room to change.
By the time she returned, she had transformed.
Wearing her freshly ironed school uniform, she looked polished and put-together. But there was something different, something more grown. Her skin glowed subtly from the use of her mother's skincare products. Her lips shimmered lightly with lip gloss, and the soft scent of her mom's perfume clung delicately to her uniform.
Her mother, half-laughing, helped her braid her hair, two elegant braids starting just behind each ear, falling over her shoulders, leaving a few soft strands to frame her face.
"You're going to turn heads, you know," her mother said as she adjusted the braid ends.
Lynette just smiled softly.
She waited at the gate, school bag on the back of her shoulder.
Ten minutes passed before she spotted a familiar figure hurrying down the street.
"Seena!" Lynette called out, waving with both hands.
Seena saw her and waved back just as dramatically. They both ran toward each other like old friends reuniting after years, even though it hadn't been 24 hours since they last met.
As soon as Seena caught up, she narrowed her eyes at Lynette and tilted her head. "Whoa. What happened to you? You look pretty pretty. What did you do?"
Lynette burst into laughter. "I was always pretty. You just never noticed."
With a playful scoff, she marched ahead.
Seena blinked in disbelief, then grinned and ran to catch up, grabbing Lynette's arm. "Oh, okay, Miss Pretty. Since when did you get so charming?"
The two of them burst into laughter as they walked side by side, sunlight shining off their shoulders, the early morning breeze brushing their faces. There was something beautifully strange in the way they laughed, like nothing had changed, and yet everything had.